Reduction Cuts = Retrenchment Pruning

[treeseer]

Yesterday I climbed a baldcypress that is under transmission lines so it's in an ongoing court battle.

The tree's response to last year's pruning puts the lie to the myth that reduction cuts to buds and small laterals aka "footing cuts" will trigger wild sprouting and rampant decay.

Last June I told their lawyers the pruning would provide 5 years' clearance and so far that looks about right. They may still try to make a case for removal but this evidence will not favor their cause.

In the last pic, it's the L-shaped tree on the right.

 

[BC WetCoast]

Makes sense when you consider we shear cedar (both Thuja and Arborvitae) hedges to almost the last bud and they respond pretty well. As long as there is green, the branch will grow.

I'm not sure how you define rampant sprouting, but there seems to be a significant number of watersprouts to me.

 

[beastmaster]

Your bald cypress seems to be reacting well to the hard reduction to small laterals. But its very species specific.
On many or even most trees they do sprout like crazy and decay does happen when reduced in height if taking down to nodes or small laterals. When I've done this i always make it a point to come back with in a year to thin out the new growth, and let the customer know there will have to be a follow up for a few years to monitor how its growing.
Congratulations on your success. How much over all did you remove to reduce the height ?

 

[treeseer]

Not success yet in the legal case. The 4" cut on the stem took off 10'-15'. The client did not buy the growth regulator treatment; the sprouting (not "watersprouting" imo) would be a lot less if he had. But even so I expect it will be much slower next year.

beast, with cuts <4" I typically don't get crazy sprouts or rot in any species. Best response comes if cuts are made in growing season.

 

[Jason Douglas]

Ive also found structural or reduction cuts made in the growing season to form woundwood faster with less sprouting that season or next.

 

[beastmaster]

It's been my experience reduction cuts made during early spring seems to stimulate a flush of growth, equal or more then what was originally cut. Summer seems to slow regrowth.
I think it still has a lot to do with how much leaf mass is taking off over all. If you remove 30% of the trees food source, it's going to respond with vigorous sprouting.
You've appeared to of found that sweet spot of just enough, compared to to much, the mark of a skilled arborist.

 

[treeseer]

Agree re spring vs summer responses.

 

[Jason Douglas]

Yep, winter and spring cuts seem to push growth

 

[Adamgaspo]

What is your MAD tolerance at your elevation? Have you accounted for tree sway in stormy conditions?
The epicormic growth at your subordinations look great and going in a positive direction! have you ever thought of leaving an extended stub to mitigate the chance of rot creeping down the stem giving the tree a better chance of creating a 4th wall.
Those transmission lines you guys have there are Crazy big!

 

[beastmaster]

What is your MAD tolerance at your elevation? Have you accounted for tree sway in stormy conditions?
The epicormic growth at your subordinations look great and going in a positive direction! have you ever thought of leaving an extended stub to mitigate the chance of rot creeping down the stem giving the tree a better chance of creating a 4th wall.
Those transmission lines you guys have there are Crazy big!

Though unsightly, I'll often leave a stub on large cuts, taking it at a node to slow or prevent decay from spreading to the trunk. A large cut even when made at a branch collar won't always callous over. Over cutting leaving a stub l believe can slow or prevent decay from spreading.

 

[treeseer]

According to the US standard, a cut to a node (a growth point where there are, or are likely to be, buds) is technically not a "stub". The obscure wording in the ANSI standard builds in a lot of fuzziness.

These reduced branches are unsightly perhaps, to those who are trained to look primarily for compliance with the 1/3 rule. Which has nothing to do with mature tree care, does it?